Back-pedaling brake



No. 609.372. Patented Aug. I6, |898. E. H. ,SCHULTZ & E. H. STARKEY.

BACK PEDALING BRAKE.

(Applicatan Med Sept. 16, 1897.

(No Model.)

No. 609,372. Patented Ag. ls, |898. E. H. scHuLTz & E. H. STARKEY.

BACK PEDALING BRAKE.

(Appliaton led Sept. 16. 1897.)

(No Model.) 2 Shees-Sheet 2.

- STATES PATENT FICIEo EDVARD II. SCHULTZ AND EDWIN II. STARKEY, OF GRANT, MINNESDTA.

BACK-PEDALING BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming pere ef Letters retentir@ 609,372, `dated August 1e, lees. Application filed September 16,1897. Serial Nc. 651,916. (No mlel.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD H. ScHUL'rz and EDWIN II. STARKEY, 'citizens of the United States, residing at Grant, in the county of Washington and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Brakes for Bicycles; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and' exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to bicycles, and has for its object to provide propelling means which may be thrown out of gear, so as to allow the bicycle to coast and permit the cranks to remain stationary 'and to enable the rider to have complete control of the wheel by pressing slightly backward upon the pedal.

With these objects in view the invention consists of certain features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower portion of a bi-A cycle-frame, illustrating the application of the invention.4 Fig. 2 is a similar view of the brake-wheel, clutch mechanism, and bell-iv crank lever, the cap being removed from the hub to more clearly illustrate the gravity-v dogs. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail viewof the bracket secured to the crank-shaft hanger, showing a portion of the connecting-rod connected to the link which is pivoted to the bracket and also showing` the pivoted arm which is actuated by the sprocket-wheel. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the link that connects the rear axle with the stud-.bolt to which the bellcrank lever is pivoted. Fig. 5 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 4, illustrating the same parts; and Fig. Gis a detail perspective view of the hub-cap.

In said drawings, l denotes a fragment of a bicycle-frame, which may be of any wellknown or approved construction.

2 denotes thedrive-sprocket; 8, the hub of the `rear wheel or driver; 4, thesprocketchain, p nected to the drive-sprocket by said chain. The hub 4has secured to it a flanged brake and 5 the rear sprocket-wheel con-y wheiel 6, which has in'its'periphery a leather 5o brake-surface` 7," prei'erably in the form of a strap, and is securedthereto by a screw 8.

The inner periphe'ryof the rear sprocketwheel 5 is provided witha series of inclined recesses 9, while the outer periphery of the hub`is provided with recesses 10 to receive gravity-dogs 11, so that when the wheel is bei ing propelled and .the chain is moving in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 the dogs will lock the rear sprocket and the 6o hub together,`so that the two will turn in unison; but in coasting, when the sprocket is not rotated, the hub will turn independently, as more fully described in` our pending application for patent, filed May 25, 1897, Serial No. 638,140, and a further description is not deemed necessary.

11a denotes a dust-cap which has a screw threaded sleeve that is 'screwed into the hub. This cap covers the dogs and prevents dust 7o working into the same. 4

The brake mechanism comprises means whereby upon applying a slight back pressure to the pedal the wheel may be placed under the complete control of the rider, al-l lowing him to bring the wheel to a full stop or in coasting to regulate its. speed. These means' consist of a bell-crank lever 12, pivoted upon a stud-bolt 13 by a nut `14e in a horizontal slot 15, formed in a brace 16, brazed or 8o otherwise secured to' the lower end of one of the back stays and the rear endlof one of the back forks of the frame of the machine.

17 denotes a brake-band which encompasses the brake-wheel and has one of its ends secured to a stud 18 on the bell-crank lever and the other end secured to a stud 19 on said bell-crank lever, so that when said lever is rocked or actuated the band will be drawn tightly about the brake-wheel, and 9o thereby check or completely stop the motion of said wheel. This band is preferably formed of spring metal, so that when pressure is removed from the bell-crank lever the band will spring from frictional contact with the brake-wheel. l i

20fdenotes a bracket bolted or otherwise secured to the under side'of the crankeshaft hanger, and pivoted to an arm 2l of this bracket is a link 22, the lower end of which is connected to the free end of the bell-crank lever l2 by a connecting-rod 23. The link has at its lower end, on the side opposite the point where the rod 23 is connected, a stud 24C, having a flat side 25.

26 denotes an arm which is pivoted to the arm 21 of the bracket 20 and extends down below the link 22 and is adapted to swin g into engagement with the stud 24E.

27 denotes a pin that is secured to and projects inwardly from one of the spokes of the drive-sprocket, and during the rotation of the sprocket-wheel in the act of driving the machine forward this pin will engage the pivoted arm 26, raise it, and pass the same; but when the sprocket-wheel is rotated in the reverse direction, or, in other words, when the rider back-pedals, the pin will engage the pivoted arm and press it into engagement with the stud 24, thus swinging the link 22 forward, which draws upon the connecting-rod, actuates the bell-crank lever, and applies the brake.

In coasting the cranks assume a horizontal position, which is the most comfortable one for the rider.

Should the wheel be going too fast, the rider by a gentle back pressure of one of the pedals may apply the brakes and check or entirely stop the speed of the machine.

y By braking the machine at the rear wheel all tendency of the rider taking a header is entirely overcome, thus allowing the rider to stop the wheel instantly without running the least chance of accident.

As all machines of this class are provided with means for tightening the sprocket-chain, it would be necessary in a wheel equipped with our improvement to adj ust the bellcrank lever every time the rear wheel was adjusted to -tighten or loosen the chain in order to maintain the proper relation between the brake-strap and the brake wheel. This would require considerable time, as very fine adjustment is absolutely essential. To overcome this, we have connected the stud-bolt upon which the bell-crank lever is hung with the axle of the rear wheel by a link 28, which has holes 29 and 30, which engage, respectively, the rear axle and the stud-bolt, so that when the rear wheel is adjusted either forward or rearward to loosen or tighten the sprocket-wheel the stud-bolt, with its bell- Y crank lever, will be correspondingly adjusted, thus saving the rider the trouble and time of independently adjusting the said bolt. By the employment of this link or connection between the rear axle and the stud-bolt the brake-wheel and its actuating mechanism always retain the same relative position.

In the drawings we have shown the usual form of screw and nut employed for adjusting the rear wheel; but it is evident that our invention is applicable to all forms of adjustment for this purpose.

Although we have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the several elements of our invention, we do not desire to be confined to the same, as suchl changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the scope of our invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described our invention,what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y A l. In a bicycle, the combination with the reardriven wheel, of a sprocket-wheel having a clutch engagement with the said driven wheel, whereby when said sprocket-wheel is rotated, the driven wheel is turned in unison; a brake-wheel secured to turn in unison'with the driven wheel, a drive sprocket-wheel, a chain connecting the two sprocket-wheels, a brake-band engaging the brake-wheel, a bellcrank lever connected to the ends of the band, a rod connecting the bell-crank lever to a link carried by the frame, and means carried by the drive-sprocket for actuating the rod to brake the rear driven wheel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a brake mechanism for bicycles, the combination with a brake-wheel, the clutch mechanism, the brake band and the bellcrank lever connected to the ends of the band, a drive-sprocket having a laterally-projecting pin, a bracket secured to the frame of the machine and provided with a link and with a pivoted arm, said link being connected to the bell-crank lever by a connecting-rod, and said pivoted arm being in the path of the movement of the pin,whereby back pressure upon the pedal will apply the brake, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the rear driven wheel of a bicycle, and means for adj ustably securing the said wheel to the frame of the machine, a brake mechanism consisting of a band -wheel, a strap embracing the bandwheel, a bell-crank lever adju stably journaled in the frame of the machine and connecting the ends of said straps, means for compressing the straps about the brake-wheel, and a link connecting the bell-crank lever with the rear axle of the machine, so that when the rear wheel is adjusted, the brake mechanism lwill be correspondingly adjusted, substantially as set forth.

4. In a bicycle, the combinationwith therear driven wheel, a brake-wheel secured thereto, a sprocket-wheel having a clutch engagement with the hub of the driven wheel to permit the said wheel to turn independently of the sprocket-wheel when the latter is at rest but to turn with the sprocket-wheel when it is rotated, a bell-crank lever pivoted to said frame, a spring brake-band connected A to said lever and embracing the brake-wheel,

a bracket secured underneath the crank-shaft IOO IIO

hanger of the machine, a link pvoted to the In testimony whereof We hereunto affix our bracket and provided with a stud, a rod consignatures in presence of two Witnesses.

nccting the bell-crank lever With the link, an EDWARD H. SCHULTIZ.

arm pivoted to the bracket, and a sprocket- EDWIN H. STARKEY.` 5 Wheel having a pin adapted to engage said Witnesses: l

arm to apply the brake mechanism, substan- JOHN W. HERRICK,

tially as set forth. KATE HERRICK. 

